The Louisiana Democrat., 1887-02-09
JOE'S VENGEANCE.
How Noted Frontiersman Avenged til
Murder of His CompaniOns.

Wichita campaign against the red
SKINS" says Captain Joe Smith, OF
Kansas, II was hunting and trapping
on the Cimarron river on the line Of
the Indian Territory. There were three
of US, my partners being named Hank
White and Lee Benson, respectively,
and brave, good men they were. We
were about ready to pack up and get
out of the hunting grounds when White
accidentally fired bullet into his hip,
and we found ourselves forced to lie
close until he could walk. 1t was a
severe but not dangerous wound, and
it was likely that in about a fortnight
he would be able to move. The In
dians had not bothered us any to
speak of up to this time; but now, as if
to add to the perplexities of our situa-
ton, the devils seemed to be over
running the neighborhood. We had
camp which was well nigh impregna-
BILE to attack, and the towards con-
tented themselves with lurking about
and seeking to cut one or the other OF
us off without exposing themselves. l
was fired upon twice in one day, and
next day Benson got a bullet through
his cap.
"WhiIe we had ceased trapping, one
of us must do more or less hunting to
supply the camp, and only one could go
out at time. White was little better
than helpless, and we dared not leave
him alone. His wound was rapidly
improving at the end of ten days, and
we were feeling sanguine that he could
use his leg in another ten, when went
out one morning after meat. Game
had become shy and scarce in our inn
mediate vicinity, and made a jaunt
of about six miles up the river to reach
some wooded bottom lands. 1t
was mid-afternoon before I re-
turned, having the hind quar-
ters of doe aad fine turkey. took
the usual precautions when approach
ing camp, but met with no alarm until
l entered it. Then l found White dead
and scalped, and brutally disfigured,
Benson missing and all our traps and
peltries and other property gone. The
Indians had been there. was so taken
aback that it was some minutes before
I could act Then l went out to scour
for their trail and seek evidence as to
whether Benson had been carried off or
murdered. / was circling about the
place when l heard u voice family call
ing, and entered thicket about eighty
rods from camp, to find Benson lying
on the ground in his blood; he had been
wounded in three places. He was hard.
ly better than q dead man, and it was
in whispers that he told me the story.
had been gone about two hours, and
he had started for the river to gel
some water, when he was fired upon
and six Indians dashed at him.
Benson had Henry rifle in his
hand, and he treed and returned the
fire, killing one of the Indians. They
were between him and the camp, and
while two of them held him at bay,
the other three went in and killed
White and packed up the property.
Benson could not expose himself, mol
could he pursue when they drew off
Had they hungered for his life they
could easily have taken it, but they
seemed satisfied with what they had ac
complished. The man didn't live ar
hour after relating the particulars, anf
l went down on my knees by his deae
body and swore to avenge my com
rades.
"a month later twenty men of US
pioneers, hunters, Indian fighters ant
scouts, banded together to hustle ;
band of five or six redskins who hat
captured and run off some horses from
couple of ranches lying between tn,
south fork of the Platte and th
north fork of the Niobrara rivers
They had full days start, bu'
their captured animals were obsti
nate and unruly, and they made bu
slow progress. l had been elected cap
tain of the band, and about sundowl
of the first day, knowing pretty vel
the route the Indians must take for th'
next two, / called in some of the oldes
scouts for a consultation. The resul
was that we planned short cut, ant
rode all night and until noon next da,
to make sure work Of it. Then on
took position in dry run bordering
the edge of narrow valley through
which the Indians were expected, ant
every man saw that his firearms wer
in order. We had over two hours t
arrange the details, and when the say
ages finally appeared in sight we wer
gratified to discover that the band w
had first pursued had been strength
ened along the route by others. Their
were now thirteen redskins. We wer'
stationed along the run abou
four feet apart, and It was I'm
derstood that not a shot was t.
be fired until the head of the ban,
was fairly abreast of the head of ou
line. 1t seemed too bad that ther
were not just thirty Indians, SO as t.
give us man for man, but that was
matter we couldn't improve on.
''They came into the valley withou
the slightest suspicion of our presence
The herd was driving better, causin;
no trouble, and some of the Indian
seemed to be asleep as they jogge'
along AS they ride in close orde